Adjustable-bulkhead-cargo-press structure for railway cars



H. v. WYNN 2,056,815

ADJUSTABLE BULKHEAD CARGO PRESS STRUCTURE FOR RAILWAY CARS Oct. 6., 1936.

Filed Nov. 7, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG, 4

Get. 6, 1936. I H. v. WYNN 2,056,815

ADJUSTABLE BULKHEAD CARGO'PRESS STRUCTURE FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Nov. 7, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet, 2

IN VEN TOR.

H. V. WYNN Oct. 6, 1936.

ADJUSTABLE BULKHEAD CARGO PRESS'STRUCTURE FOR RAILWAY CARS 3 Sheets-,-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. '7, 1954 FIG. 5

FIG. 7

INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 6, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE -BULKHEAD-CARGO-PRESS STRUCTURE FOR RAILWAY CABS This invention relates to improvements in railway refrigerator cars and pertains particularly to an improved bulkhead structure which combines adjustable features with an efficient and practical cargo press.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a practical adjustable bulkhead and cargo press, which will greatly facilitate loading of freight, especially fresh fruits and vegetables, and provide safer and more economical transportation for that class of freight.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bulkhead structure of strong, practical, convenient and durable design, which may be easily and quickly shifted to the desired position after the necessary computation has been made as to the amount of space the cargo will take, and which, after cargo has been stowed, may be tightened and secured from outside of car to insure a tight load.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shiftable bulkhead-press structure which will insure a tight load and reduce to a minimum the shifting and breaking of packages and the consequent spoilage of goods; which shifting and breaking of packages at present occurs frequently as a result of the collapse or improper construction of temporary bulkhead pads or center bracing structures.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable bulkhead-cargo press structure in which the initial expense of installation constitutes the entire expense involved in its use, thereby eliminating the present expense and waste of lumber involved each time a car is loaded when temporary padding or center-bracing structures must be built to take up extra space, and then torn out when cargo is removed and it is necessary to clean the car for a new and usually different load.

Other objects of the invention reside in the novel means by which the movable bulkhead is mounted for movement; the novel means by which the shifting of the bulkhead is efiected; the novel means by which the cargo may be pressed to tighten load; the novel means by which the pressing means may be locked after load has been tightened sumciently to insure safe transit; the novel means by which certain parts of the structures are housed so that they may be constantly kept bathed in grease or other suitable lubricants; and the novel placement of aforesaid parts and their housings adjacent side walls of car in ice bunker so that said parts and their housings will not interfere in any way with storage of ice or installation of temperature control apparatus.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying 5 drawings forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifica- 10 tions mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:-

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional 15 view through one end of a refrigerator car showing the structure embodying the present invention in position therein, the section being taken substantially upon the line l-l of Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially 20 upon the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken substantially upon the line 33 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially upon the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; 25

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially of the king sprocket supporting bracket, the section being on a plane parallel with the ice screen;

Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view taken substantially upon the line B6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. '7 is a detail view taken substantially of the press lever and its securing means.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numerals of reference indicate 35 corresponding parts throughout the several views, there is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1 one end in vertical section of a car wherein the roof is indicated by the numeral I, the end wall is indicated by the numeral 2, and the floor is indicated by the numeral 3.

The structure embodying the present invention comprises two main units, one of which is indicated generally by the numeral 4 while the other is indicated generally by the numeral 5.

The unit 4 is fixed and constitutes the ice bunker bulkhead which is spaced from the end wall 2 of the car and is secured between the top, bottom and side walls in the manner shown to form the ice bunker 6. This screen bulkhead is 50 made up of the top angle beam 7, the vertical side angle beams 8 and the vertical I beams and perforated plates 9 and ,l 0 respectively. The vertical I beams are formed by the flanges of the perforatedplates being bolted firmly together in the 55 through, one of which is near the top while the other is near the bottom, and each of these openings is surrounded by the small bolt openings l3.

Mounted upon the rear side of each of the ice &

screen angle bars 8 and adjacent the side wall of the car is a pair of cylindersor housings each of which is indicated by the numerall4. These housings connect between the beams B and the adjacent side and end walls of the car and as is shown each has a plate I5=on its= forward end a which abutts the rear side of the angle beam and has bolt holes therein which register with the bolt holes of the beam 8 to receive securing bolts I6. At their other ends the housings-have the ears I! which are apertured to receive supporting screws or boltswhich are driven into the 1 end wall structure 2, and intermediate its ends each housing I4 is provided with the apertured ears, .l8 and I9 by means of which the further attachment of the housing to the angle beams 8 and the adjacent side walls of the car is effected.

Each of the housings I4 is provided with a plugged opening 20 by means of which grease may be injected thereinto for lubricating an enclosed jack screw which will be hereinafter described.

The bolts I6 which secure the plates l5 of the housings l4 to their respective angle beams, also secure to the forward faces of these beams 8 the split collars 2!. The inner faces of each of these collars 2| is annually recessed or channeled to receive the collar 22 which is formed upon one end of the hub portion 23 of a jackscrew sprocket 'Through each ofthe four sprockets 24, which are interiorlythreade'd, there extends a jackscrew 25 which passes through theangle beam 8 into the adjacent housing l4 and each of these screws has 'a head-plate 26 upon its forward end.

The central'vertical channel beam 35 is pro- 'vided at a point near to its upper end with an aperture 21 and rotatably' mounted in this aperzture is one end '28 of the hub portion of a king sprocket which is indicated generally by the numeral 29.

The hub of this sprocket is provided on its forward end with a key hole opening 30 for the purpose hereinafter set forth and on the rear end provision is made for securing the end of a shaft 36 which extends through adjacent end wall of the car. Secured to the forward face of the beam against which the king sprocket 29 is positioned, is a bracket 3| which has a central offset portion 32 provided with the opening 33 in which the forward end of the sprocket 29 is rotatably mounted. The end portions 34 of the bracket 3| are suitably secured to the forward face of the beam 35.

The four jackscrew sprockets 24 are connected by the operating chain which as shown passes over the top of the king sprocket 29, passing through the bracket 3| which supports the king sprocket in position; It will then be seen that by turning the king sprocket 29 all the jackscrew sprockets 24 will be turned through the medium of the chain 40 and the longitudinal movement of the screws 25 effected.- There are two ice bunkers "6 in each carfone adjacent each end, the area between these bunkers constituting the freight compartment. This area is indicated by the numeral 4|. I

Adjacent each bulkhead 4 each side wall of the car forwardly of the bulkhead has countersunk therein and secured thereto the two vertically spaced longitudinally extending hangar tracks each of which is indicated generally by the numeral 42. Each of these tracks consists of an elongated steel plate 43 which is pres sed to have formed therein the longitudinal channel 44. The side walls of the car are provided with suitable recesses to receive the channels 44 so that the plates 43 will beflushat their outer surfaces with theface of the wall.

Mounted in front of the ice screen bulkhead 4 is the adjustable or floating bulkhead 5. This floating bulkheadstructure consists of the framework made up of the top and bottom horizontal beams 45and 46, the vertical side beams 41 and the intermediate vertical beams 48, and secured transversely ofthe vertical beams 41 and 48 is the pad of planks 49 which does not extend entirely to the top and bottom edges of the framework so that open areas 50 are left acrossthe top and bottom of the floating bulkhead which are covered by the spaced bars or grill work 5| throughwhich the free movement of air is allowed for ventilating purposes.

The vertical side beams of the floating bulkhead 5 have secured to the outer edges thereof the hangar elements 52 each of which slidably en- 7 gages in the channel 44 ofathe adjacent hangar track42. I a 7 The butt-plates 26 :ofthe jackscrews 25 are securely bolted to the 'rear faces of the adjacent vertical channel beams '41 of the floating bulkhead.-

At its upper central portion the floating bulkhead 5 is provided with a keyhole opening 53 of the same design as the opening in the forward end of the. hub of they king sprocket 29 forthe purpose of inserting the crank 55 to eifect'the rotation of the king sprocket 29and the consequent motion of the entire mechanism from the inside of the car. The mechanism moves the floating bulkhead 5- in the desired direction to increase or decrease the length ofthe freight compartment 4|.

On the adjacent end wall of the car, outside, and mounted upon the end of the shaft 36 is a ratchet and lever assembly, generally indicated by the numeral 31, by meansofwhich the movement of the bulkhead 5 may be effected from out side the care Said lever being long enough to be operated'by a man on theground, andwith its upper end cast with or firmly riveted to the hous- 1 ing or framework-of the ratchet assembly. The ratchet assembly is suitably housed and carries within its housing the ratchet pawls 51 and 58. The pawls are designed and hung in-such manner that they are operable by gravity, and, as can readily be seen; should the lever'be moved appreciably to-eitherside the force of gravity would cause the pawl on that side to drop into connection with the ratchet gear. The positive-pawl 58 being latchable, and shown in a latched position, by means of the small fulcrum lever 59 for holding it in continued connection with the ratchet gear to prevent any reverse movement of the mechanism. The fulcrum lever is operable by means of thelatch hasp 60 near the end of the ratchet lever, to which it is connecte'd-by the rod extending down'the lever. v p r I The hasp'tn is designed to slide up and down the lever toa position above or below the pin 6|; the position above the pin holding the fulcrum lever 59 out of engagement with the pawl 58, and leaving the ratchet in neutral, while the posi-' tion below the pin, (in which hasp is shown in drawings) forces the fulcrum lever against the positive pawl 58, holding it in engagement with the ratchet gear and preventing the reverse movement of same. In the latter position the latching hasp 66 will engage a staple 62 set in the end wall of the car, through which is then thrust the eccentric bolt 63 in which position it may be sealed by an ordinary car seal thrust through the slot 54 near its lower end. By this arrangement the ratchet lever is held against movement, and the pressure of the fulcrum lever 59 holds the pawl 58 in connection with the ratchet gear to prevent reverse movement of any part of the mechanism.

The dotted lines 59 and 60%; show latch lever and hasp in unlatched position. The pin 6| will hold hasp up in this position while ratchet lever is being used either positive or negative, or while mechanism is being operated from inside of car.

'In the operation of the present adjustable bulkhead-press structure the car loader after determining the approximate amount of space which will be required for the cargo which is to be placed in the freight compartment 4|, and thus determining the extent to which the bulkhead 5 must be shifted to increase or decrease the length of the freight compartment, first unlatches ratchet lever 31 at the end of car on the outside, being sure that dogs 5? and 58 are completely clear of the ratchet wheel.

He then extends through the opening 53 in the floating bulkhead structure 5, a crank of the character indicated by the numeral 55, the forward end of which is provided with a cross pin 56 which engages in the opening 38 in the front hub of the king sprocket 29. By then turning the crank in the proper direction the chain 4!! will operate the jackscrew sprockets and the moveable bulkhead 5 will be caused to move in the desired direction.

After the bulkhead has been properly adjusted and the car loaded, the car-loader will go to the end of the car, outside; standing to one side of the coupler in a position facing the car he will raise the ratchet lever to his right, allowing the positive pawl 58 to drop into engagement with the ratchet wheel or gear, then, by pulling the lever back to the vertical position he causes the shaft 35 to turn to the right, operating the adjusting mechanism within the car and pressing the cargo; he repeats the operation as many times as necessary until the cargo is pressed to the desired tightness. (To withdraw the pressure, this operation should be reversed, lifting the lever to the left instead of the right.)

After the load has been sufficiently tightened, the lever 31 should be returned to the vertical position and latched as hereinbefore described. The eccentric bolt 63 is fastened by means of a regulation car seal thrust through the slot 64 in its lower end, the number of. which is to be recorded on the manifest along with the numbers of seals used on ventilators and doors.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as novel is:--

1. In a refrigerator rail-road car having ends and longitudinal boundaries, and, adjacent an end wall, a space or bunker for the storage of ice or temperature control apparatus, said ice bunker beingv separated from the freight compartmerit by a fixed bulkhead; an adjustable bulkhead-cargo-press structure; a slidable bulkhead within the freight compartment, adjacent and paralleling the fixed bulkhead; a jack-screw and screw sprocket and chain assembly disposed between said bulkheads for effecting the movement of the movable bulkhead longitudinally of the car relative to the fixed bulkhead; means for securing the said screw sprockets to the fixed bulkhead; an idle king-sprocket engaging said screw sprockets by means of said chain for coordinative control of the entire sprocket assembly; a means for operating the king-sprocket from Within the car; a plurality of housings carried by the longitudinal boundaries of the car within the ice bunker for the protection and lubrication of the jack-screws which extend thereinto; a latchable, gravity action ratchet and lever assembly mounted upon the end wall of car outside, and connected to the kingsprocket by a shaft or other means, for effecting the movement of the assembled mechanism from outside the car.

2. In a railroad car of the described class; an adjustable bulkhead-cargo-press structure; a slidably mounted movable bulkhead within the freight compartment, adjacent and paralleling the fixed ice bunker bulkhead; a plurality of jack-screw elements adjacent the longitudinal boundaries of the car and connecting said bulkheads; a plurality of internally threaded nutlike elements, each outwardly formed to provide a sprocket wheel, and each having threadably engaged therein one of the jack-screws which extend through the fixed bulkhead into the ice bunker; means by which the said nut-like elements may be rotatably mounted upon the fixed bulkhead; an idle king-sprocket mounted parallel with the fixed bulkhead and engaging the said nut-like elements by means of a sprocket chain for effecting the coordinative rotation of same; a means for operating the king-sprocket from within the car; a plurality of longitudinal housings within the ice bunker and carried by the longitudinal boundaries of the car, each being provided with a plug or other connection for the injection of grease and each having movably housed therein the extended portion of one of the aforesaid jackscrews; a gravity operated ratchet assembly mounted outside 7 assembly against unwanted movement.

3. In a railroad car of the described class; within an ice bunker, a plurality of housings disposed adjacent the longitudinal boundaries of the car, each with an open end in alignment with a hole in the ice bunker bulkhead; a plurality of internally threaded nut-like elements outside the ice bunker upon the fixed bulkhead, each being rotatably mounted in alignment with one of said housings, and each having its outer surface formed to provide a sprocket wheel; means for rotatably mounting said nut-like elements; a king-sprocket mounted upon the fixed bulkhead; a means for connecting said sprockets to effect their simultaneous rotation; a slidable bulkhead disposed within the freight compartment adjacent and parallel with the fixed bulkhead; means for slidably supporting said movable bulkhead; a plurality of jackscrews disposed longitudinally of the car, each having an end i-ithreadably engaging one of the aforesaid nutlike elements and each at its other end being secured to the movable bulkhead at a point adjacent the longitudinal boundaries of the car; a means for efiecting the movement of'the entire assembly from within the car; a gravity ratchet and lever assembly mounted outside the car for operating the mechanism from without the car. 5

HUGH VERNON WYNN. 

